Page 123 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

When the project was finished, though, and I had wandered through, noticing how much brighter the interior was with all the skylights, admiring the view from the new windows and balcony, it was all worth it.

The family had been thrilled to move back in. The project was personal.

I studied Emmett. “I don’t want you to feel guilty for going after what you want.”

He leaned forward, concern all over his face. “The same goes for you. What do you want?”

I hesitated.

“Sadie,” I admitted. “I want Sadie.” I blew out a long breath.

“Is she…?” Emmett trailed off, waiting.

“Is she what?”

He weighed his words. “Are you two on the same page?”

I shook my head. “We’re not even in the same book. She has a whole new life waiting for her back in Toronto. She isn’t staying.”

He frowned. “Shit.”

I folded my arms over my chest. My gut twisted at the thought of her leaving.

Emmett stared out the window, thinking. “That doesn’t mean you couldn’t show her what it would be like.” He flashed me a roguish grin.

A thousand images flashed through my head at once of what things could be like if Sadie stayed. Us walking through the forest together, me carrying a baby on my back in one of those baby backpack things. Celebrating our anniversary with a weekend away in Victoria. Her cuddled up to me in the living room in front of the fire, drinking tea and listening to music.

Sadie was unsure about commitment, so I had to do everything in my power to show her how good our life together could be.

45

Sadie

“I heardthe creaking noise and then it was crashing through the window.” I shrugged at the bar patrons. “It was kind of scary.”

“And you were standing right beside it?” Miri asked, eyes wide.

I nodded. “I thought the raccoons were back.”

“You were so lucky.” Don scribbled another note as I talked. He glanced at the bandage on my arm. “Victim sustained minor lacerations.” Off my confused expression, he explained, “I’ll be including this in the Queen’s Cove Daily.”

Behind him, Holden watched and listened, eyes on me the entire time with an amused smile.

Our eyes met and my pulse stumbled.

I couldn’t wait to get back to his place after the bar. It was mind-blowing, how good we were together. Holden touching me changed my DNA. Every time he made me come, he cracked me apart and put me back together in a new formation, better than before.

In the bar, I did another round to check if anyone wanted another drink before I leaned on the counter in front of him.

“Hi,” I said, smiling at him.

“Hi, honey,” he said back in that low voice of his. His eyes were steady and warm.

“How’d it go with the arborist today?”

“She’ll be out next Monday. You get everything you need from the inn?”

“Yep.” He had dropped me off at the inn to pick up my car and another bag of clothes and toiletries. My brain prickled at the thought of staying with Holden for the next week. His home was beautiful, and the second I stepped across the threshold, I felt like I belonged there.

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